Improvement in pumping apparatus for oil-wells



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

lTNESSES I NVENTOR Aug M '0 1 ATTOR,NEY

N.PETERS.' PHOTO-L|THOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON n c 2 S he etsSheet 2,

G. SNYDER. Pumping Apparatus for Oil-Wells.

No. 203,206. Pa tented April 30,1878.

UNITED:- STATES PATENT. OFFIC CHARLES SNYDER, or R SEvILLE,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PUMPING APPARATUEiFOR OIL-WELLS.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 263,206, dated April 30,1878; applicationfiled March 1, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, CHARLES SNYDER, of Rouseville, in the county ofVenango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pumping Apparatus for Oil-Wells and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My inv'entionrelates to an improvement in a combined wind and leverpower pump for oil-wells.

Heretofore many head-wells have not been worked, and alarge quantity ofoil has beenlost, owing to thefact that such wells will not yield asufficient quantity of oil to warrant the expense necessitated inproviding such wells with steam-engines and fuel foroperating the pumps.In wells of this class the oil flows into the bore of the well to acertain height, and the quantity of oil accumulating in the well duringtwenty-four hours can be pumped from the well in from thirty to sixtyminutesor, in other words, in a comparative] y short time, which, insome instances, may vary from a fraction of an hour to several hours ofa day.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and efficientpumping apparatus, of such construction that the variable force of theprevailing winds shall furnish sufficient power to actuate the pump, andthus dispense with the necessity of providing fuel and costly machineryfor such purpose.

My invention consists, essentially, in the combination, with anoscillating fan or windboard, of a weighted pendulum, the several partsbeing constructed and arranged as will hereinafter be described, wherebythe force of the wind operates to turn the wind-board and raise thesucker-rods attached to the pump; and when the force of the wind islessened, the weighted pendulum carries the wind board or fan back againto its former position. Thus the variable force of the wind during agiven twenty-four hours furnishes sufficient power to impart asufficient number of strokes to the pump to raise the oil as it collectsin the bore of the well.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved pumping apparatus. Fig. 2 'is an end view of the same. Fig. 3is a transverse section of one of the weighted balls. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation, and Fig. 5 an end, of a modified form of construction.

' A are the uprights of a derrick or tall frame work and B is arock-shaft, journaled in bearings a attached to the cap-piece b of theframe. To the rock-shaft B are secured the arms 0, between whichispivoted-a wind-board, O, which latter is retained in a verticalposition by means of a weighted ball, D, preferably at tached to thelower edge of the wind-board in a vertically-adjustable manner, for apurpose hereinafter described.

D is a spur-gear, secured to therock-shaft B. E is a sliding rack-bar,the teeth at of which mesh with the teeth of the gear-wheel D. Slidingrack 'E is supported in suitable bearings or guides F, attached to theframework of the derrick.

G represents the upper end of the series of sucker-rods, which areattached to the lower end of the rack-bar E, and hence, as the latter israised and lowered, a corresponding reciprocating movement is impartedto thesucker rods, which operate the submerged pump in the oil-well. Tothe outer end of the rockshaft B is secured a pendulum-lever, H, havinga weighted ball, I, attached to its lower end. When the pump is not in.operation the weighted ball I will stand in its lowest position, andretain the wind-board in vertical line with the pendulum H. 1

In order to counterbalance the weight of the sucker-rods, .a groovedwheel, J, is attached to the rock-shaft, and a weight, K, is suspendedtherefrom by a rope or metallic strap, 6. It will thus be observed that,by swinging the pendulum-lever H to and fro, the sucker-rods are raisedand lowered with the expenditure of the minimum amount of power. Theweight of the balls may be readily varied, as they are formed hollow andthen filled with lead or other material until they are of the desiredweight.

The operation of the device, as above described, is as follows: Thesucker-rods of the well having been attached to the lower end of thereciprocating rack-bar, the pump is ready for the variable action of thewind. When the wind blows with any considerable force, it operates toforce the wind-board to one side or the other of the rock-shaft, thusturning the latter, which also operates to raise the weighted ball onthe end of the pendulum-lever. The

Y turning of the rock-shaft serves to raise the rack-bar through thespurgear, and thus gives an upstroke to the sucker-rods and pump. Whenthe force of the wind is spent or lessened, the weigh-ted'ball on theend of the pendulum carries the latter downward, lowering thesucker-rods and again raising the windboard, to be again acted upon bythe wind. In this manner the sucker-rods are raised and lowered, eitherfast or slow, accordingly as the wind is variable or steady, and thepump is operated without the necessity of an attendant or any'expensefor fuel, as is the case with pumps now in use.

The pump is not liable to injury from a severe wind-storm, as thewind-board is adapted to be adjusted by the vertically-adjustableweighted ball to withstand any predetermined force; and any excess ofsuch force operates to force the wind-board outwardly in line with thedirection of the wind when it only presents its edge to the force of thewind.

There are at present a large number of oilwells termed. head-wells,which will yield a comparatively small quantity of oil per day, but nota sufficient amount to warrant the outlay necessary to furnish therequisite'machinery, fuel, and attendant to operate the pumps now inuse; but by means of my improved apparatus these wells can be worked,

as the initial cost of the pumping apparatus is all that is required forthe successful and continuous working of the wells.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent a modification of my invention. In this form ofconstruction the end of the rock-shaft is provided with a crankarm, L,which has one or more holes, 1, formed therein for the adjustableattachment of one end of a pitman-rod, M, the lower end of which latteris attached to a slide, N. O are guides, within which the slide N canreciprocate freely. To the lower end of the slide N is attached theupper end of the series of sucker-rods, which extend down into the well.The operation of this modified form of apparatus is the same as thatheretofore described.

When the rock-shaft is turned by the force of the wind acting on thehinged wind-board, the crank operates to raise and lower thesucker-rods, and thus actuate the pump.

When there is not sufficient wind to operate the pump, the same may bedone by swinging the pendulum, and this may be done by an attendant or asteam-engine or water-motor may be connected therewith for such purpose.

If desirable, a platform may be secured to the I pendulum, and thelatter operated as a swing.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pumping apparatus for oil-wells, consisting, essentially, in thecombination, with a rock-shaft, of a wind-board or equivalent device, tobe moved by the force of the wind, and a weighted pendulum-lever,substantially as set forth.

2. In a pumping apparatus for oil-wells, the combination, with arock-shaft, provided with a weighted wind-board, of a weightedpendulum-lever and a rock-bar, adapted to be reciprocated by a spur'gearsecured to said rockshaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this28th day of February, 1878.

CHARLES SNYDER.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. SEYMOUR, THOMAS B., HALL.

